Committee spokeswoman says Sanford has proven he knows what it takes to win elections. She says the group won't be engaged in the contest.

The decision was first reported by Politico.

The NRCC made its move hours after The Associated Press reported that Jenny Sanford had filed a court complaint accusing the former governor of trespassing at her home on Sullivans Island.

Republicans were blindsided by the news and made the decision not to spend more money on his race after concluding that it would be difficult for Sanford to make inroads with women voters and win.

Meanwhile, the former governor says he visited his wife's home while she was out of town because he didn't want his 14-year-old son to watch the Super Bowl alone.

Sanford, who is running for a vacant congressional seat and trying to mount a political comeback, issued a news release Wednesday explaining why he was at his wife's home in February.

"It's an unfortunate reality that divorced couples sometimes have disagreements that spill over into family court," said Sanford in a statement. "I did indeed watch the second half of the Super Bowl at the beach house with our 14 year old son because as a father I didn't think he should watch it alone. Given she was out of town I tried to reach her beforehand to tell her of the situation that had arisen, and met her at the back steps under the light of my cell phone when she returned and told her what had happened."

"There is always another side to every story, and while I am particularly curious how records that were sealed to avoid the boys dealing with embarrassment are now somehow exposed less than three weeks before this election, I agree with Jenny that the media is no place to debate what is ultimately a family court matter, and out of respect for Jenny and the boys, I'm not going to have any further comment at this time," concluded Sanford.

Jenny Sanford filed court documents saying her ex-husband violated their divorce settlement by visiting her Sullivans Island home Feb. 3, using his cell phone as a flashlight. He has been ordered to appear at a court hearing in May, two days after the election.

The complaint says Sanford confronted her ex-husband leaving the home. Her attorney filed the complaint the next day and Jenny Sanford confirmed Tuesday the documents are authentic.

The complaint filed attorney Deena Smith McRackan, said that Mark Sanford has "entered into a pattern of entering onto plaintiff's property. Plaintiff has informed defendant on a number of occasions that this behavior is in violation of the court's order and has demanded that it not occur again."

The couple's 2010 divorce settlement says neither may enter the other's home without permission. Mark Sanford lives about a 20-minute drive away in downtown Charleston.

In February of 2011, McRackan sent a letter to Mark Sanford telling him not to trespass on Jenny Sanford's property. A copy of that letter was also sent to the local police, according to court filings.

Jenny Sanford said Tuesday that she has custody of the couple's four boys.

She said the complaint has nothing to do with her former husband's efforts to rebuild his career in politics. She said it was filed with the court the day after the incident and when a family court judge last month set the case for the docket, it happened to be two days after the election.

"I am doing my best not to get in the way of his race," Jenny Sanford told the AP. "I want him to sink or swim on his own. For the sake of my children I'm trying my best not to get in the way, but he makes things difficult for me when he does things like trespassing."

Sanford is trying to make a comeback after his political career was sidelined in 2009 after confessing an extramarital affair. As a sitting governor, he disappeared from the state for five days only to return and confess to an affair with an Argentine woman, Maria Chapur. He and Jenny Sanford soon divorced and he is now engaged to Chapur who lives in Argentina.

In December of 2011, there was another complaint against Mark Sanford brought by Jenny Sanford saying he had not made the $5,000 yearly contribution for 1 of their son's college education. Jenny Sanford said Tuesday that the matter has been resolved but would not comment further.

Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch is not commenting on the most recent dust up between former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and his ex-wife.

Colbert Busch is running against Sanford for the vacant 1st District congressional seat. She refused to comment about Sanford, even though she was asked several times by reporters after visiting a Mount Pleasant diner.

She says her campaign is focusing on the positive and on bringing in new jobs to the district on the state's south coast.

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